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Social Cognition

Social Cognition. Social Psychology. Examines the influence of social processes on the way people Think Feel Behave. Social Cognition. Social cognition refers to the processes by which people make sense of Themselves Social interactions Relationships. Social Cognition.

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Social Cognition

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  1. Social Cognition

  2. Social Psychology • Examines the influence of social processes on the way people • Think • Feel • Behave

  3. Social Cognition • Social cognition refers to the processes by which people make sense of • Themselves • Social interactions • Relationships

  4. Social Cognition • Networks of association • Suggests memories are stored in interconnected nodes. Activation of one node spreads activation to other nodes linked to it through experience • Activate “Notre Dame” and immediately connect the term football

  5. Social Cognition • Schemas • Organized patterns of thought that direct attention, memory and interpretation • Activation of the schema “State Trooper” leads to immediately hitting the breaks on your car • Schemas enable us to enter a new situation with some idea of how to behave

  6. Social Cognition • Concepts • Mental representations of categories (car) • A novel stimuli involves comparing it to an abstract prototype • Car • Truck • Is an SUV (novel stimuli) a car or a truck

  7. First Impressions • Our first impression of someone serves as a benchmark for all future evaluations of the person • First impressions serve as a schema (how to respond) • Halo effect • The tendency to assume that positive qualities cluster together • The halo effect is also referred to as :what is beautiful is good”

  8. First Impressions • Physically attractive people are assumed to be: • Warm • Friendly • Intelligent • Those who perceive themselves as attractive tend to report being: • More extroverted • Socially comfortable • Mentally healthy

  9. Stereotypes and Prejudice • Stereotypes involve characteristics attributed to people based on their membership in specific groups • Often precludes receptiveness to new information • A rigid schema • Athletes= Not serious about academics • Irish= Drink too much

  10. Prejudice & Discrimination • Prejudice • Involves judging people based on stereotypes • A way of thinking • Discrimination • Behaviors that follow from prejudicial evaluations or attitudes • Involves actually doing something

  11. Prejudice & Discrimination • We are all prejudice • We prefer those who are similar to ourselves • We prefer the known to the unknown • Our prejudices do not need to dictate our behavior • The more we are aware of our prejudices the better able we are to control for discriminating behavior

  12. Authoritarian Personality • Characterized by a tendency to hate people who are different or downtrodden • Those with an authoritarian personality tend to have a dominant, stern and sometimes sadistic father and a submissive mother • Authoritarian individuals tend to displace or project their rage towards their father onto vulnerable groups

  13. Subtle Racism • Overt racism is often met with public disapproval • Subtle racism involves desire by racist to express their hatreds in socially acceptable ways • Low expectations of performance • Express more subtle stereotypes

  14. Explicit and Implicit Racism • As explicit racism becomes more and more social unacceptable implicit racism becomes more evident • Unconscious slips of the tongue • Harsher criminal sentences for blacks than whites • Whites less helpful to blacks than to whites

  15. Prejudice & Social Conditions • Prejudice is more a social condition than a personality dynamic • Prejudice is transmitted from one generation to another within social groups • Prejudicial social attitudes serve to preserve the benefits for the dominant classes • Haves and have-nots tend to differ in color, religion or ethnicity

  16. Ingroups & Outgroups • Ingroup • Those who are members of a reference group • Fraternity • Outgroup • Those who are not member of a reference group • Members of an ingroup tend to perceive those who are not as very homogenous

  17. Social Identity Theory • Social identity theory suggests we derive part of our identity from the groups to which we belong • Suggests that we will strive to maintain positive feelings about the ingroup and negative feelings for the outgroup • Hatred towards the outgroup can become an important part of our identity • I exist to hate them

  18. Attributions • Attribution • The process of inferring the causes of one’s own and others’ mental states and behaviors • Why did I do that • Why did s/he say that • We constantly think about the “whys” of our social interactions

  19. External v. Internal Attributions • External attributions • The situation caused (is responsible for) the behavior • Internal attributions • The person is responsible for the behavior • Attributional style • Habitual ways of making attributions • Either external or internal

  20. Attributions • Consensus • The way most people respond • External attribution • Consistency • Refers to the way a given individual responds in the same way the same stimulus • Internal attribution • Consistency across time • Distinctiveness • Refers to an individual’s likelihood to respond a given way to many different stimuli • Consistency across situations

  21. Attributions • Discounting • Occurs when we discount one variable (internal) because we know that others may be contribution to the behavior in question • Discount partner’s rude behavior due to some circumstance at work • Augmentation • Increase (augment) an internal attribution for behavior despite powerful situational factors

  22. Intuitive Science • People base their attributions by observing the co-variation of situations, behaviors and specific people • To what extent does the presence of one variable predict the presence of another variable • Intuitive scientists • Our tendency to rely on intuitive theories, frame hypotheses, collect data about ourselves and others, and draw conclusion as best we can

  23. Correspondence Bias • Tendency to assume other people’s behavior corresponds to their internal states rather than external situations • Assume internal attributions rather than possible external causes • Also known as the fundamental attribution error

  24. Self-Serving Bias • Our tendency to see ourselves in a more positive light than others see us • Our need for self-enhancement tends to blur our objectivity • More prevalent in Western individualist focused societies

  25. Faulty Cognitions • Cognitive Bias • Stereotyping • Similar to the availability heuristic • Motivational Bias • We base our attributions to meet our needs, wishes and goals • Confirmation bias • Our tendency to seek out information that confirms one’s hypotheses

  26. Attitudes • Attitude • An association between an act or object and an evaluation of the act or object • Attitude strength • Durability & impact of an attitude on behavior • Attitude importance • Degree of importance of the act or object • Attitude accessibility • The ease with which an attitude comes to mind

  27. Attitudes • Explicit attitudes • We are consciously aware of our attitude • Implicit attitudes • Regulate thought and behavior at an unconscious level. We respond automatically

  28. Attitudes • Attitude ambivalence • Degree to which an object generates conflicting attitudes • Attitude coherence • Degree to which an attitude is internally consistent

  29. Attitudes and Behavior • Attitudes do not accurately predict behavior • A positive attitude towards exercise doesn’t necessarily translate into one actually exercising • Specific attitudes predict behavior much better than generalized attitudes • Brand specificity

  30. Attitudes and Behavior • Attitudes are only one factor among many that influence behavior • I have a favorable attitude towards mushrooms but would never eat them around my friends • Attitudes will better predict behavior if members of one’s reference group share the attitudes • Implicit attitudes impact behavior in ways a person is unaware of

  31. Attitudes and Behavior • Strongly held attitudes predict behavior better than attitudes that generate less passion • Attitudes acquired through personal experience are more likely to influence behavior than attitudes acquired on more abstract levels

  32. Persuasion • Persuasion • Involves a deliberate efforts to change an attitude • Components of persuasion • Credible source (expert knowledge) • Message • Receptiveness of receiver to the message • Fear appeals

  33. Attitudes and Behavior • Components of persuasion • Channel • Words/images • Medium • Context • Background setting for delivering message • Politicians use of the national flag at events • Receiver • Strength of attitude by the receiver • Need for cognition

  34. Elaboration Model • The Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion suggests that knowing how to appeal to people requires figuring out the likelihood that they will think about (evaluate) the arguments presented • Central Route • Appeals to those who think carefully about the message • Volvo adds that focus on safety • Peripheral Route • Appeals to those less likely to think carefully about the message • Ford Mustang adds that focus on sex appeal

  35. Cognitive Dissonance • Cognitive dissonance refers to a perceived difference between • An attitude and a behavior • An attitude and a new piece of information • When cognitive dissonance occurs something has to give • Change attitude • Change behavior

  36. Cognitive Dissonance • Dissonance reduction • Involves our efforts to reduce cognitive dissonance • Self-perception theory • Suggests that individuals infer their attitudes, emotions, and other internal states by observing their own behavior

  37. Cognitive Dissonance • Self-presentation theory • Suggests that what appear to be changes in attitudes are really only changes in reported attitudes • I’m saying what you want to hear • Dissonance and culture • May be a distinctively Western culture way of thinking

  38. The Self & Self-Concept • Self • The person including mental processes, body and personality characteristics • Self-concept • A person’s concept of herself, a schema that guides the way we think about and remember information relevant to ourselves

  39. Self-Esteem • Self-esteem • A person’s evaluation of himself, how much he likes and respects the self • General • Specific • Self-handicapping • The process by which we set ourselves up to fail when success is uncertain • A means to preserve our self-esteem • Success would mean one is worthy, thus impacting one’s low self-esteem

  40. Self-Consistency • Refers to consistency of feedback of either a positive or negative nature • Those with low self-esteem tend to avoid those who speak positive of them • Positive remarks creates cognitive dissonance with their low self-esteem

  41. Self-Presentation(Impression Management) • Refers to how we present ourselves to others • Involves dress, language, and other behaviors • Self-presentation predicaments • Situations that threaten the image we would like to project • Changing presentation for a job interview

  42. Self-monitoring • Refers to the individual differences in how well we manage our self-presentations • High self-monitors • Carefully read and respond to social settings • Low self-monitors • Do not read social settings very well

  43. Self-concepts • Actual self • Our views of how we actually are • Ideal self • Hopes, aspirations, and wishes that define the way we would like to be • Ought self • Duties, obligations, and responsibilities that define the way the person should be

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